Electrical Help

[jeff...]

Need to secure some 12ga copper wire to closely spaced 1/8 thick stainless steel plates. I need a good small sized mechanical fastener and I don't want some big lug sticking off the stainless, any ideas?


BTW Alan, I'm working on some rocket fuel for the green rocket...

Thanks

[BumoutBob]

Jeff, need more information to be able to help. How about pictures?

[Alan in Little Washington]

Whatch makin? An electrohypertransdialectric detection grid?

[BumoutBob]

Drill hole the same size of wire, silver solder in place. 95/5 Soft silver solder works, with the right flux----needs to have some hydrocloric acid in it. ie flux for SS. Use a propane torch, Map gas to hot. if the wire is insulated you may burn it. Be better if you could slide it away from solder joint until it cools. Heat sinking the wire near the solder joint might save the insulation. This will also make it harder to heat the solder joint.

[jeff...]

Originally Posted by BumoutBob

Drill hole the same size of wire, silver solder in place. 95/5 Soft silver solder works, with the right flux----needs to have some hydrocloric acid in it. ie flux for SS. Use a propane torch, Map gas to hot. if the wire is insulated you may burn it. Be better if you could slide it away from solder joint until it cools. Heat sinking the wire near the solder joint might save the insulation. This will also make it harder to heat the solder joint.

Bob I did almost exactly that - but used a torch to heat up the SS it worked for a while but eventually what I'm doing, eat up the silver solder. I need a good small mechanical fastener preferably SS.

Here's a few pics of the plates - they spaced with 1/16" nylon and also held together with nylon washers, nuts and bolts. Positive charge on one plate, negative on the other with two neutrals in between. Plate spacing is important hence why I need a small fastener.




Alan no not that but lets just say I might just come up with something to fuel the green rocket.

Thanks

[BumoutBob]

Jeff, that connection looks like it heated up and is not making a good contact. There are crimp on connectors(lugs) out there made by AMP or Thomas & Betts These are the ones that you find in the auto stores. The ones for #12 wire are color coded yellow. They come open ended( spade) and ring tongue (closed holes). It appears that you might be able to attach a lug with an #8 or #10 screw there.

If you don't know the lugs I'm talking about, go the Advance Automotive and look around.

[jeff...]

Originally Posted by BumoutBob

Jeff, that connection looks like it heated up and is not making a good contact. There are crimp on connectors(lugs) out there made by AMP or Thomas & Betts These are the ones that you find in the auto stores. The ones for #12 wire are color coded yellow. They come open ended( spade) and ring tongue (closed holes). It appears that you might be able to attach a lug with an #8 or #10 screw there.

If you don't know the lugs I'm talking about, go the Advance Automotive and look around.

Bob thanks, I'll swing by Nappa or Advanced and see if I can find it. Your right the wire did heat up and after a while lost it's connection and it's ability to conduct current because the silver solder failed.

Thanks

[Mike Davis]

Looks to me like a sloppy silver solder joint.

[Alan in Little Washington]

The weather is getting nice- time to get the cat and the "Storpedo" out and ready to go.

Crimp type (can also be soldered) ring tongue terminals available at auto parts stores and Radio Crap might be the way to go. Remove the insulator if equipped and use stainless steel pop rivets to attach them to the plates. Partially grind off and flatten the nub side of the rivet if you need the clearance.